


Safe House | Clint Barton

by lunasparker



Series: The Age of Heroes Anthology [1]
Category: Hawkeye (Comics), Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Awesome Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Clint Barton Feels, Deaf Clint Barton, F/M, Hurt Clint Barton, Hydra (Marvel), SHIELD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-10-17 23:00:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20628956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunasparker/pseuds/lunasparker
Summary: When cocky S.H.I.E.L.D agent Clint Barton is tasked with safeguarding a former HYDRA operative from HYDRA’s prying eyes, he thought it was going to be a boring few months. What he certainly didn’t expect was having to deal with panic attacks, HYDRA’s desperation to find them, and slowly falling for his asset.When Devi Waters is finally liberated from a HYDRA experimentation camp somewhere in Eastern Europe, she thought that maybe her life could finally return to normal. However a certain arrogant S.H.I.E.L.D agent, desperate to get on her good side, was serving as a wedge in her plans. Should she listen to what he has to say or follow the brainwashed mind of hers compelling her to return to HYDRA?A few months alone together and an awful lot gets done. Car chases across Ancient Greece ruins, almost drowning, and a little flirtation now and then. Can Devi learn to love when she doesn’t even love herself?





	1. [01] humour hides depression well

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for clicking on this story and I hope you enjoy!
> 
> In this fic:
> 
> \- Clint is more like his comic counterpart rather than his MCU persona  
\- He wears hearing aids!  
\- Profane Language will be used (I’m sorry!)  
\- This fic is set before the Avengers were formed. Clint and Natasha are both S.H.I.E.L.D operatives.  
\- Alexander Pierce, the US Secretary of State, is a HYDRA agent.  
\- HYDRA sleeper agents in S.H.I.E.L.D have not been awoken YET.😅

Soft pink still edged the cerulean sky as Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff and a few other S.H.I.E.L.D agents sat at the table playing cards. Clint looked out of the window at the alabaster clouds and sighed deeply returning his gaze back to his terrible hand of cards.

"Remind me again why we're playing poker at 4:30 AM in the morning?" He grumbled, shifting his attention to the poker-face expressions of the others, each clutching their cards suspiciously.

Skye smirked, pushing her 10 into the pile, "Someone has bad cards, eh?"

Clint sighed deeply again. He forced his eyes onto the card table analysing everyone's moves hoping to distract him from the clouding thoughts in his mind. Boredom was seeping through, his twitched muscles twitched as they sought challenge, a fight, action.

Not sitting at a poker table betting real money.

"We all know you're highest chance is a High Card, Skye, so let the man off for a bit," Natasha commented, pushing back her dark red hair, a pointy smile on her pale face.

Her eyes hovered over Clint for a spilt-second, an expression of concern plastered on them, but even after she tore her eyes away and focused on her cards, Clint still felt them lingering.

"Alright stop fucking around and turn over the last card. I'm aching to start morning training," Clint groaned.

Skye rolled her eyes, leaning back into her chair with a cocky smile. She complied and flipped over the last card. An Ace of Spades.

"Fuck," Clint muttered; the swear word slipped from his lips quicker before he could stop it. He ran his fingers through his sandy-blonde hair, a pining sadness emerging in his chest as he handed over his 10 bucks to Fitz who despite being quiet, won the round.

There was a knock at the door. 

The others turned to look to see who was coming in. They were in one of the Triskelion's break rooms. Few people were up at this hour and none of the crew had assignments that needed taking care to, other than Fitz and Skye who were part of a separate handling team for 0-8-4's.

Clint drummed his fingers along the metal table, blinking a few times as he stared at Jasper Sitwell.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important here..." He noted, his expression morphing from surprise to glee.

Clint sighed, he never did like that bald bastard.

Natasha titled her head, eyes turned sharply at him. "You're not, so what brings you here?"

Agent Sitwell stood in the doorway uncomfortably as he shuffled into the room, "Director Fury wishes to speak with Agent Barton."

Dread like no other filled Clint's heart. He shuddered as he stood up from his seat and followed Agent Sitwell out of the room, his suit sticking to him. Hundreds of thoughts swirled in Clint's mind as the two agents walked the empty corridors.

They reached Fury's office and Clint punched in a string of digits into the keypad and watched the mechanical door open loudly in it’s usual fashion. The two stepped inside the large office, faced with an expressionless Nick Fury sitting behind his silver metal desk, hands clutched.

"Sitwell, you may leave," Fury ordered.

With reluctance, Sitwell shuffled outside the room, an awkward expression on his face.

Clint Barton gulped. He stared at Fury, wanting the floor to swallow him up whole. He couldn't understand why had been so anxious, like he was soaking in anxiety. His thoughts were muddled and he couldn't think straight. He hadn't been himself recently and everyone knew it. 

"If it's about the vents, it was a once time thing. Okay, maybe a few times." 

He laughed at his own joke but soon it died out, replaced by an uncomfortable sorts of sadness.

"I don't know what's going on with you, Agent, but you best get it sorted. I have an assignment for you," Fury raised his eyebrow, his grip on his knuckles tightening. 

Clint quickly hid his dismay with a continued poker-face expression. He had just returned from Nevada a few days ago having been ordered to take out a group of HYDRA-influenced hippies with weapons of mass destruction. The job was quick and easy but he was still tired from the experience. After all, he did have to write up his report and file it and dispose of the bodies. Plus, the jet lag. 

Maybe that was why he wasn't in the right mindset. He needed to get back into sync. Think straight, Barton.

"It's... a little unorthodox to assign you this mission however given your current situation, I feel it might be appropriate." Fury chose his words carefully and Clint understood fully what it meant. Witness protection. 

Or something along the lines of that at least. What it all boiled down to was babysitting a stranger for a few months while dealing with your own problems before returning to work perfectly fine.

Clint bit his lip, "File, sir?"

He often found he worked better when reading the file rather than hearing it from Fury himself. Clint was afraid to admit it to anyone but his hearing was rapidly decreasing and he was always filled with constant worry about it. What if S.H.I.E.L.D no longer wanted him? Sure, Fury expressed it himself how great a marksman he is but no one would want to hire a deaf man, especially in this dangerous profession.

Fury rifled through a security-locked cabinet and handed Clint a dossier, the words 'PROJECT: SOLDIER' printed on the front in blood red Russian. Clint had brushed up on his Russian, especially since Tasha spoke it so often, as he stared at the cover he couldn't help but think this mission was far more deeper than he thought it to be.

Clint opened the thick file, presented with a detailed report on an unknown woman alongside an old photo of her. He read the report from top to bottom, taking in the information.

Asset: Devi Waters  
Age: 26  
Last Known Location: Blair, Wisconsin January 14th 2011

Ms. Waters is believed to be held captive in a HYDRA experimentation facility situated in Kurbnesh, Albania. She is reported to have been forcefully drugged, experimented on and brainwashed and is counted as a potentially dangerous person despite being held against her will. 

Recommendation: Enforce Safe House protocol. S.H.I.E.L.D will provide a suitable agent to escort and guard Ms. Waters at a secure location in Eastern Europe. She will be evaluated to determine her capabilities and potential as a S.H.I.E.L.D ally or recruit and eliminated if expressing HYDRA-like views.

The exact conditions in which Ms. Waters was being held is unknown however she is linked to the PROJECT: WINTER SOLDIER, likely able to provide information on HYDRA's activities. Extract information and deter HYDRA as after raiding their facility, they will likely search for her. 

Before being kidnapped by HYDRA, she had previously expressed suicidal thoughts and/or tendencies. Do not, under any circumstances, allow her to take action upon said tendencies, the information she possesses is unique and important to deter HYDRA from world domination.

Listed below are names of family and friends of Ms. Waters, the most notable of which being Dr. Amith Singh, a former HYDRA scientist. 

It is highly likely Ms. Water's personality and interests will have changed following her change of living conditions. However, a list of her (former) interests are listed here:

Playing video games - Ms. Waters is noted to have exceptional skill in this area (use this knowledge as you will)  
Fluent in German and Gujarati - Likely useful when using fake identities  
...

BLACKLISTED: Do not, under any circumstances, speak this word to Ms. Waters

Aaron

The current reason for why this word is blacklisted is unknown however it is observed that Ms. Waters's personality changes upon hearing this word which will likely deter and delay the mission. 

The agent should be situated with Ms. Waters at allocated Safe House 16047 and remain there for a minimum for four months. The agent in questions should be Level 6 and/or higher in S.H.I.E.L.D clearance and possess the necessary skills to carry out this mission.

Clint Barton looked up. He had just been handed a babysitting job. Except you kill or recruit the baby by the end of it. He wasn't sure how to feel about it however his eyes lingered on the word 'Aaron', curiosity piercing the fog in his mind.

"Anything else I should know, sir?" Clint asked after going through the file again, 

Fury smirked, "Just don't get too ahead of yourself, Barton. I wouldn't trust anyone else with mission, S.H.I.E.L.D has become a dark place lately." 

And with that Clint left the room, his stomach lurching as he headed to the mission control centre to grab his things.


	2. [02] i'm falling into nothingness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very long POV from Devi Waters including setting the tone and background for the story and for you to learn more about this troubled, traumatised woman.
> 
> Madame B is the former instructor at the reknowned Red Room Academy for young girls, she was taken (willingly) into HYDRA custody for the initiation and training of Devi and so that explains why she appears here.
> 
> Bucky is here as well! He is still at HYDRA and trains with Devi. 
> 
> (This book is pre-Avengers. Set between and into Iron Man 2 and Thor. This of course doesn't mean our lovely Avengers won't turn up, they will ;)

The roundhouse kick to the face was what caught her off guard and Devi Waters stumbled. “You’re slipping,” Madame B stated sharply. Devi panted, willing herself not to roll her eyes at the woman. 

“You know, I’m not afraid to punch an old lady” She gritted through her teeth, her fists clenched and eyes on her strict instructor. The remark resulted in a blow to the back by her training partner, the Winter Soldier. Devi bit her tongue to hold back from screaming and forced herself to remain emotionless, if she dared show the slightest bit of fear Madame B would not hesitate to send her to experimentation. 

Devi forced herself to get up, using her thumb to wipe the thin trail of blood leaving the corner of her mouth. 

Madame B narrowed her eyes at her young protege. “I have trained many girls to become unstoppable assassins. So when HYDRA required my assistance with indoctrinating you, I assumed it would be uncomplicated. So, why do you make this so hard?” 

Devi bit her lip, her brown eyes making contact with the woman’s cold eyes. She didn’t reply, instead turned to face the Winter Soldier. “One more,” Devi commanded, exhaling deep breaths as she prepared herself for another spar in the training room. Part of her felt compelled to impress Madame B, to live up to those other girls she trained ruthlessly. Devi, what happened to escaping? She reminded herself. Even though it had felt like months or even years, the thought of escaping HYDRA and attaining freedom was still a possibility. However Devi felt like she resigned to her fate a while ago.

The Winter Soldier took a step back and then without warning locked his arm around Devi’s neck, cutting off her oxygen supply. The manoeuvre was done to catch Devi off guard however after years being forced to learn his fighting styles, she was starting to catch on. Instinctively Devi flipped him down to the ground where he was the weakest and locked her arms over his neck. She wriggled desperately from his strong gasp and used her back to loosen his grip which was suffocating her. The Winter Soldier pulled his arms over her back painfully and Devi immediately suffered a mind blank before pulling his hair to lower his head and lock her arms around it. She was so caught up in the sparring she couldn’t tell if Madame B had seen her arguably childish action. However it worked and Devi was able to lock her legs around him and then knocked his stand by using her hands to make his right foot slip. 

The two locked eyes for a split moment as the Winter Soldier, although expressionless, was suffocating and Devi had finally bested him in battle. Devi questioned as to what she saw in his faded blue eyes. What the fuck is he hiding behind that mask of his? Despite being stuck with his presence for a while, Devi knew very little about him. Just that he was the original Winter Soldier and she will join him in the ranks, or at least that’s what HYDRA hopes.

Upon seeing a possible small smile on Madame B’s face, Devi yielded and laid on the ground exhausted. “I was beginning to wonder if you were going to progress any more, солдат.” The edge of her mouth twitched. 

Devi scowled, she hated it when Madame B called her soldier. It made her feel alienated from her true self. She wasn’t a soldier? Or was she? The past few years in captivity had taken it’s toll on her. Devi was different and she knew that. 

“Walk with me, солдат.” 

Devi pursed her lips. She knew it wasn’t a request and got to her feet, avoiding the angry eyes of the Winter Soldier.

Madame B turned to her as they began walking away from the training room, along the narrow and daunting hallways. “You are breakable,” she stated. Devi noticed it was said with frustration. “You are not like the others,” Madame B continued.

“Because I’m not a white Russian 7 year old?” Devi questioned, arching her eyebrow. 

Madame B halted in her strides, tilting her head at Devi like a parent to a child. “I cannot touch you. HYDRA want you perfect for their plans.” She spat bitterly. Well boo hoo, I’m sorry you can’t slap me Madame Bullshit, Devi thought internally. Though the woman struck fear into Devi with her harsh words and demeanour, Devi was glad she couldn’t read minds.

“You are not like the others,” Madame B repeated, “At my Red Room Academy I employed numerous effective techniques to indoctrinate my young soldiers. Subliminal messages, torture, handcuffing them to their bed, brainwashing and fighting to the death.” Devi hid her look of repulse at the list with an emotionless expression. 

“I cannot use a single one of them to indoctrinate you. When you are perfected to take your place in the world, you will not undergo the systematic Graduation Ceremony. The sterilisation will interfere with the dormancy of your powers.” 

Devi gulped. She’d some light reading the Red Room Academy and it’s methods. HYDRA didn’t allow her access to technology but she stole a few books from their library. It was the fact that she will avoid the fate of sterilisation that made Devi partially grateful for the experimentation.

“HYDRA’s methods are… questionable” Madame B’s thick Russian accent came through, “Their brainwashing techniques have been all but effective on you. Another reason why I should have declined their help. But I did. Because you will be my last.” 

“Your last?” asked Devi. 

“I am dying. My time on this earth was historical but it will be over. You will be my last солдат. And you will be my greatest or my worst. As the Americans say ‘make or break’. Now you must eat. The human body cannot train without subjugation to food.” 

Devi looked away at the bland white walls as her stomach rumbled. Madame B and several armoured soldiers led her back to her small cell where she was greeted with a tray filled with an assortment of food on her single bed. Madame B said nothing as the door to the cell closed and she walked away silently. 

The food would be despicable to any sane person but Devi had forfeited the taste of rich subsistence a long time ago. She couldn’t even remember what her favourite food tasted like and longed for it to reappear on her tongue again as she pushed a scoop of potatoes into her mouth. After finishing her food and pushing the tray against the wall, Devi stared into the security camera on the edge of the ceiling. 

She closed her eyes and tried to remember life before HYDRA. It frustrated her with how little she could recall; the ruthless experimentation had taken it’s toll on her and her memories. Devi wondered how her parents were. She was staying with them in Vermont for a few weeks when HYDRA took her. While all other memories were distant and blurry, the memory of Devi’s kidnapping was clear. She distinctly remembered the wave of fear that overcame her as she was being stalked by two men and then the stench of chloroform that overwhelmed her senses. 

It still didn’t make sense as to why HYDRA chose to abduct Devi in the first place. As far as she was concerned, she wasn’t of interest. Her life had been relatively normal up till being kidnapped and held hostage for whoever knows how long. Everyone kept their lips sealed about the outside world. Devi wasn’t even sure what year it was. 

She kicked the wall angrily and avoided the throbbing pain emitted from her right foot. HYDRA had taken so much from her. Escape, come on Devi you need an escape plan, she told herself. Devi bit her lip, unsure about whether it was still possible to escape. She doubted they would let her outside again after the previous incident, which pained her to think about. Her only hope rested on Stairwell B which she knew was situated near the conference rooms and was rumoured to lead to a door. Her only problem however was that Stairwell B was almost on the opposite side of the base. While Devi was trained in combat, she doubted her ability to take out majority of HYDRA’s soldiers at once. Besides, what was she going to do with her potential freedom?

HYDRA’s probably going to track me down again, she thought bitterly. I’m never going to be free. as long as HYDRA are still out there. 

The piercing sound of an alarm filled the silent room and Devi turned her head, curious. The slightest bit of hope filled her. The last time that alarm had been played, HYDRA were invaded by some foreign agency but they were overpowered. Maybe in all the chaos, I can actually escape. 

Two soldiers emerged from the left and opened the cell with a string of digits being inputted into the keypad. Devi studied them quickly. They were both armed with a baton and wore some form of light armour. Blow to the head and then roundhouse kick? She questioned, her eyes narrowing as she followed them out of the cell. 

There was no one else in the corridor and Devi took the opportunity, despite recognising it was a brash decision. She was grateful they hadn’t placed cuffs onto her which would have made the process ten times more harder. A blow to the back on the first soldier caused him to stumble and collapse to the ground. The sound of a crunch was heard but Devi couldn’t tell if she broke his back because the second soldier turned and instinctively attempted to whack her with the black baton. Her eyes widened and she ducked instantly, sending a roundhouse kick his way. The baton fell to the ground and Devi punched him in the face. 

“Fuck!” She swore, holding her left hand which was throbbing with a red bruise on the knuckles. The soldier fell to the ground and Devi panted. She rubbed her hand sorely, trying to shake off what she did. She patted the two down for any weapons and felt a pistol tucked into the back pouch of one of them. Devi shakily pulled it out and held it in her hands. She hated using guns.

The alarm was still blaring and it was ruining Devi’s focus as she hid behind a wall, avoiding the unison of armed soldiers marching past her. She caught snippets of their conversation. There was an attack on the base. Something about a shield? 

Once the hallway was clear, Devi bolted away from her cell and hurried in the direction of where she thought Stairwell B was. She knew it wouldn’t be long until someone realised she was missing and if they found out she tried to escape again, HYDRA would ruin her again. 

After several minutes of hiding and sneaking, Devi turned a corner only to be faced with unfamiliar soldiers. They weren’t wearing the stereotypical HYDRA uniform but instead sleek black bodysuits that had a pin with an eagle coloured in the black. The soldiers, although armed with weapons ranging from pistols to blasters, didn’t immediately fire on Devi. Instead one of them touched their ear and spoke rushed, “Asset is in Corridor B. I repeat, Asset is in Corridor B. Send Agent Barton on his way..” 

Devi didn’t hear the rest and instead ran away in the opposite direction, choosing to slip inside an experimentation room to get away. What the fuck is happening? Are they the enemies? Devi inhaled deep breaths as she locked the door and backed away. She hadn’t heard of an Agent Barton at HYDRA. 

The sound of footsteps became louder and nearer and Devi looked around frantically for a source of escape. The room was sloppily evacuated. Devi noticed the slanted nature of the cabinet and pushed it aside. It revealed a metal door titled Stairwell B. What are the chances? She let out a laugh. Devi jammed on the handle and pushed it open and she was faced with a spiral of stairs. 

She hurried up the stairs, ignoring her tired feet and struggled to the top. Once there, she laid on the ground exhausted. Devi cast her gun away. Even looking at it made her repulsed. She struggled to her feet and opened the metal door, her hand grasped tightly on the cold handle. 

Suddenly the door opened and Devi winced, covering her face with her hands. Devi sniffed, she was ready for the worse. From the door came a man who upon seeing her, had his guarded expression soften. Devi shakily lowered her hands as the unfamiliar man held his hand out and lowered his purple tinted sunglasses. “Hey it’s okay. I’m not HYDRA. I’m not gonna hurt you.” His tone was definitive but soft and he place his rough hand in Devi’s palm and helped her to her feet. “Who are you?” She croaked, struggling to think. Was he was bad guy or the good guy? She questioned, eyeing him wearily. 

The man’s sandy-blonde hair and dark purple stealthy attire certainly made him stand out to the other cronies Devi had to face. She narrowed her eyes as she followed him outside the door. Natural sunlight blinded her vision and she blinked before noticing the greenery that flourished outside the window. “This isn’t America!” Devi gasped. The man barked a laugh. “Stay close. We’re not out of danger yet,” He advised, pulling out a bow and an arrow from his quiver. 

Devi rolled her eyes, looking around at her unfamiliar surroundings. “You do you, Robin Hood.” She sighed but quickly caught up with the man after spotting soldiers rush towards them. The man smirked, “I’m liking you already.” He shot an arrow with ease and it ricocheted off a nearby wall and detonated an explosion. 

Devi’s panted and slowed down. She felt disorientated and tired. After several minutes, the man hurried over to her. “Pick up the pace, we’ve got a long way to go.” She frowned, following him into thick vegetation, distancing themselves from the fighting. “What do you mean? Where are you taking me? Who are you?” The questions came quickly and Devi realised she was followed an unknown guy into unknown territory and it felt like New York all over again. 

The man stopped and turned around to face her. They were so close she could see her reflection in his blue eyes. “We’re going to a safe house. Why? Because I’m not the bad guy! I’m Clint, and you’re Devi.” His voice had a sarcastic funny tone to it. Devi disguised her surprise at his knowledge of her name with a guarded expression. She continued walking with Clint trudging in front of her with a relaxed expression. Meanwhile, she was pulling down her sleeves and holding back tears and the prospect of a safe house. Am I getting rescued? 

They arrived at a desolate small road where a bike was tied to a fence. Devi surveyed Clint as he placed his hand on a keypad which activated the bike and gestured for Devi to sit on it. “It’s not going to bite you,” he remarked and Devi sat behind him hesitantly. Her hands were on his muscular shoulders and tan body as he started the engine and they sped off into the distance. It felt weird to touch Clint’s arms, she hadn’t experienced human touch in a while. And being on a motorcycle was a first for Devi admittedly. She couldn’t help but wonder if they accidentally die in an accident. Survived experimental torture but died in a motorcycle accident. How comical, what would mum think? 

The two were silent for the whole for the whole of the trip which was a surprise because Devi assumed Clint was never to keep his mouth shut. A few cars passed them which caused Clint to hunch his shoulders defensively but upon seeing they were filled with harmless tourists, he relaxed. Devi disrupted the silence with a question she wanted an answer to, “Who do you work for, Clint?” It felt distasteful saying the word Clint but that may have been because she hadn’t said another person’s name in a long time. 

Clint’s expression was still blank, he was difficult to read. “I’m with S.H.I.E.L.D.” That didn’t make any sense to Devi but it seemed like a sufficient answer to Clint. Devi’s eyes fell from Clint’s eyes to his ears where she noticed he something in them. Hearing aids. 

They neared a long and windy road where Clint abandoned the motorcycle and the two set off on a walk. Devi looked down at her clothes, smeared with dirt and tears. She sighed. “Do you know how long I was there for?” She asked, it seemed like such a stupid question but Devi was curious and she felt whatever answer she wanted wasn’t going to be the answer she got. Clint raised his eyebrows, looking at her with an inquisitive expression. Devi looked up at his, jealous that his 6’3 prowess was towering over her. “You don’t know?” Clint shook his head, “Man HYDRA fucked you up. You were held captive for almost 4 years.”

Devi choked back a gasp. “Four years?” Devi stopped walking, her body tensing up. “Four years.” She repeated. Four years of torture. Four years of loneliness. Four years of her mum not knowing what happened to her daughter. Devi kicked the ground frustrated, tears coming naturally from her eyes. “Hey,” Clint said softly, his hand patting her back. “You’re out now. And you get to spend god-knows-how-long with me!” Devi rubbed away her tears, “You make that sound like a good thing,” she grinned. He seemed like a humorous guy. 

“What year is it?” She asked solemnly, trailing Clint as they walked slowly down a long windy cobbled pathway. Clint hesitated, “2011. Today’s 21st May 2011.” Devi’s mouth trembled, she felt a wave of helplessness overcome her. I’m 26, she thought sadly to herself. I’m 26 and I didn’t even know it. They reached a tall fortified metal gate which stood out like a sore thumb. “This is a S.H.I.E.L.D safe house, we’re in Greece right now.” Clint explained casually, he placed his hand on a touchpad and spoke into a microphone his name. “Agent Barton.” 

Clint Barton, strangely has a nice ring to it, thought Devi. She didn’t understand what S.H.I.E.L.D was, but by now assumed it was like the FBI and CIA. And Greece? That was definitely a long way from America. The touchpad emitted a computerised female voice in response and the gate opened automatically. Devi couldn’t help but take a few steps back at this, replaying how the doors at the other place did the same. 

The two were faced with a strangely normal-looking farmhouse. It looked so mundane that Devi frowned in disappointment but then again it was a safe house so what was she expecting? Her stomach rumbled and she cowered in embarrassment. Clint smiled at her reassuringly, “There’s food inside don’t worry.” 

As they neared the house, Devi noticed the smell of seaweed fill the air and she turned to see the house was overlooking an empty beach. Devi exhaled sharply, looking away immediately. It hurt to even think about the sea. Clint saw this, Devi could see his expression in his eyes and he didn’t say anything. He pressed the doorbell five times and a slot in the wooden exterior of the house opened with another touchpad. Clint placed his hand on it and the touchpad did the same as the fence with the sound of a door unlocking. He turned the doorknob and Devi walked tentatively inside. The smell of sage and fresh air was presented to her. She felt slightly sick even thinking about food, the taste of rich savoury delights hovered the tip of her tongue and were replaced with the thought of eating the revolting bland food the soldier’s served her. 

“This is your new home, temporarily of course.” Clint added, watching Devi wander around the house like a child. Devi took off her shoes at the front door, her feet touching the wooden floor. She wriggled her toes. It was the small things like this that made her realise how much had been taken away from her. Devi sat down on the dusty black sofa, the comfort of it was refreshing. She closed her eyes, the house was reminiscent of her family home. Even the kitchen looked the same. Clint opened the fridge and pulled out a bowl of salad. “What kind of food did HYDRA give you?” he asked, pulling out two smaller bowls and separating the salad. Devi hesitated, her guarded personality was what kept her alive all those years and she wasn’t willing to be open with Clint yet. After all, she knew next to nothing about him. 

“Not this,” she replied, licking her lips upon seeing the salad being handed to her by him. Clint looked at her again, this time while she stuffed herself with the salad. It’s rich taste was delicious but also wanted to make her throw up at the same time. “Whoa, calm down. You’re gonna throw up.” Clint advised, he was taking small bites from his bowl with a fork and was sitting on the other sofa. Devi took his advice and slowed down, savouring the juicy tomatoes and lettuce. She watched him sit and eat his salad quietly, scrutinising him to try and figure him out. The way he ate reminded her very much of a trained soldier. It was like he was trying to make the least amount of noise possible, he had a look that suggested he was used to being given orders and there was something very soldier-like about him. 

When Devi finished she laid on the couch sprawled out and battered. She looked up at the ceiling and was so intently focused on thinking about her future she didn’t realise her sleeves had rolled back. “I’m grabbing first-aid,” Clint stated, his eyes widening in concern. “I’m fine,” The lie came out in a whisper and it was lost in the sound of Clint’s footsteps as left the room. Devi looked down at her body, everything was painful to the touch but at the same time it felt numb. Clint returned and immediately started wrapping Devi’s arms in bandages. 

She flinched as Clint gently wrapped a few bandages around her arms. “What did HYDRA do to you?” He asked, upon finishing. Devi looked away, she knew he was trying to get her open up. It was likely part of his job, grab whatever information was in her head and get out. She was expendable and always had been. “Not now,” She mumbled. 

“House get me an update on S.H.I.E.L.D” Clint spoke and a hologram appeared above the burnt fireplace. He walked over and read the indecipherable information on it. 

Devi lulled herself to sleep on the couch, the last thing she heard was Clint’s cocky words murmured under his breath.


	3. [03] a friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the ending's a bit sloppy :/ but enjoy nevertheless

Devi's dreams were often cosy in nature, a soft tranquil state she would stay in before shifting into a terrible nightmare. And this time was no different. She was sitting on a swing, legs dangling out over the river that laid in front of her, tips of her feet barely skimming the water. The sky was a light blue with hints of creamy white, picturesque and quaint in style. It felt familiar. A memory tugged at the back of her mind. And then she knew why. Aaron. Her grip tightened on the gnarled rope holding the swing together, something bad was about to happen. She blinked. The river had disappeared, replaced by a desolate familiar darkness. The blackness of the room drained all colour from Devi, and she made out the faint outline of the Winter Soldier walking towards her. They were in the training room. The solidity of the thick darkness entwined them both as he edged near sinisterly. 

The Soldier was never particularly threatening in nature, despite his smokey eyeliner and brainwashed expression, Devi found from time to time his company was comforting. His presence in her new unknown life, though one of practicality, reminded her hope wasn't all lost. He was also a man of many mysteries. Devi knew little to nothing about him. Half of the knowledge she obtained about him came from overheard hushed conversations between lab technicians and deductions she made herself. 

As he came closer and closer, a sleek black rifle in hand, Devi did not feel that sense of comfort she had grown to have. She felt terror paralysing every muscle in her body, her mind screamed at her to run, just like when she first saw him. He stopped in his tracks, bright blue eyes piercing her vision. Those eyes were sombre, full of lost memories and locked up emotions. They were the eyes of someone who kept far worse secrets than the ones Devi kept. 

He held up the rifle, setting down sights as the trigger was pointed at her. 

"Move," 

His voice was still the same. Gruff and plain. Always an underlying tone of emotionless. If that was even possible. Everything he said was often gritted through his teeth or spoken with zero emotion. Sometimes Devi wondered if he was a robot. 

Devi, surprised she wasn't being shot at, found herself shuffling to the side. She turned back to see whom or what the Soldier was aiming. Her eyes widened and she instinctively cried out in shock. 

Standing a mere few feet away like a shining beacon in the encasing darkness was her mother. She still wore the same warm complexion, her face still the same after so many years. Her eyes were soft and dimpled, eyes a stunning warm brown and her arms were outreached as though giving a hug. She looked at Devi, an all-too familiar smile worn on her face. 

Devi’s hand reached out, their fingers barely touching. And then a single gunshot. The sound echoed across the room, shattering the dreamlike state Devi was in. And the last thing Devi remembered was the cold, lifeless eyes of her mother as a sluggish trail of blood left the gaping hole in her forehead.

Devi blinked a few times, eyelashes entangled. She looked around, short of breath as the room swayed in and out of focus. Her fingers involuntarily curled around a soft navy blue blanket that had been placed on top of her. 

“It’s going to be okay. It’s just a nightmare,”

She looked for the source of the comforting voice and found it. Clint was standing in the doorway of the living room, a flicker of worry spilt across his face as his eyes were on Devi.

His expression changed swiftly once Devi took notice of him. Still shaking, Devi looked around, realising she was sprawled across the sofa in the living room with an emergent headache. Clint maintained his distance, yet his eyes lingered on Devi as she sat up straight, blinking away tears. 

God, Devi missed her. She missed her so much. 

Devi looked down at her hands, almost imagining handcuffs wrapped tightly around them, sealing her fate as a useless government casualty with nowhere to go. Devi didn't even know what she wanted to do with her newfound freedom. The idea of being separated from HYDRA was both blissful yet daunting, she knew the organisation would stop at nothing to see her return. They had spent too many years cultivating her, shaping her into the soldier was today. 

Clint gulped, "Do you want water?" 

He was being considerate so Devi accepted his offer. She watched him leave the room and waited until the sound of his footsteps became distant until standing up abruptly and scanning the room. Clint was the agent assigned to her, and while his demeanour was friendly, his attempts at friendship were futile. Devi had no intention of setting herself up to fail, not like last time. She knew emotional attachments would ruin her. Just as they did when Aaron died and when she fell into a never-ending darkness.

The living room was a standard urbanised home, filled with tacky decor and bleak objects. Yet to the trained eye, Devi could see many things of use there. A few things stuck out of place for Devi like the bookshelf in the far corner. She edged closer and whispered, "House?" 

The idea of talking to an AI was bemusing to say the very least, there was a slight irking within Devi that perhaps she had misheard Clint the previous day however a monotone voice replied instantaneously. 

"Ms. Devi Waters." It stated sharply, "How can I be of assistance?"

"Where am I?" Devi inquired, she knew Clint said somewhere in Greece but Devi wanted something more specific. She wanted to know how far she was from everything; from the nearest civilisation, from the nearest HYDRA based, from her parents.

"I'm afraid it is against my protocol to disclose the location of the safe house in which you are situated in. However, if you acquire an administrator access card of Level 6 and above, you can obtain this information."

Devi sighed, annoyed. They had thought of that beforehand much to her frustration. "How far away in miles is Blair, Wisconsin?"

"I'm afraid I cannot reveal to you the distance between the safe house and your hometown, Ms. Devi Waters."

Devi opened her lips to mutter a swearword however quickly stopped as Clint reentered the room, a tall glass of water in hand. He raised his eyebrows with a smirk, "Just cos' I have hearing aids, doesn't mean I'm deaf. I could still hear you talking to House."

Clint handed her the glass of water and leaned against the doorway, his tanned muscles relaxing. “I was hoping we could get some training done today. I wanna assess your abilities.”

“I guess I could use a distraction,” murmured Devi.

Clint snorted, “Said very depressingly but still a win.”

Devi didn’t both hiding her gun expertise from Clint, she knew that S.H.I.E.L.D were probably aware about HYDRA’s methods of training. Devi closed her eyes, briefly taking in the surroundings. The stomach-lurching scent of sea salt lingered in the air and the sound of the waves crashed against the sandy beach was easily audible. Ignore it, Devi calmly told herself. 

The two were standing on the edge of the beach next to a small shed hitched on a patch of grass between the safe house and the sea. Clint’s arms were folded and his dark purple tank top exposed his muscular arms, arms that showed his past. Clint wasn’t an open book but Devi could deduce a few things from his demeanour. 

“You ready?” Clint asked, stretching his arms now. 

Devi shrugged, she felt like was ready for anything. They turned to face each other. Concentration. Intuition. The adrenaline coursing through her veins. The final moments before the battle. 

As soon as Clint gave a swift nod, indicating they had started, Devi was already attacking. Her movements were quick yet aggravating and Devi immediately went for the head. She didn’t bother thinking. Instinct and routine controlled her every move now. Clint’s movements were quicker. He was precise and his hawk-like eyes made him a formidable opponent. No wonder he was probably S.H.I.E.L.D’s top dog. 

Clint deflected Devi’s arms instantly, hurling her backwards. She trembled in his wake and waited. “Damn, Devi.” He laughed, a cocky smile on his face. Devi gritted her teeth, she desperately wanted to punch that arrogant expression off his face. It was the kind of expression everyone else gave her. It was what the The American did every time she tried to fight back about the system. It was what Madame B did when she failed to do even the simplest things. 

Every move Devi made, Clint retaliated precisely. And that’s when it clicked. He somehow knew the moves. He was familiar with them. Devi tilted her head, “You’re more familiar with the Red Room than you let on.”

For the first time, Clint hesitated. It was bemusing for Devi to watch his cocky blue eyes frown and widen in surprise. Devi made her move, she locked his throat in her arms, and smiled. Clint struggled, at 6’3 he was definitely stronger than Devi in every way. But Devi continued relentless. 

After over ten minutes in the beating sun, the two called it a draw. Devi laid on the sandy ground, exhausted. She turned to face Clint, a weak smile on her face. Clint grinned, “You’re pretty good. Maybe even better than me.”

“Maybe,” scoffed Devi, a laugh escaped her lips and ached her stomach, “I just kicked your ass.” 

Clint smirked and sat up, sand sticking to his skin as sweat trickled from his forehead. “Well, take what you can get, eh.”

After a few moments of silence, while both regained their energy and basked in the warm light, Devi disrupted with a question. “How do you know those moves? They were only taught by Madame B herself. And you’re not a white Russian woman.”

Clint bit his lip, “A friend. That’s a story for another day.” And with that the two continued to sit in silence, while Devi’s eyes poured into the ocean, her mind swarming with thoughts.


End file.
